Weekly Columns and Op-Eds
On Memorial Day, we honor our nation's servicemembers who have given the ultimate sacrifice. We surround their families and loved ones with prayers and support. We lay flowers on memorials, make visits to monuments, and we pay tribute to their service by lowering our flags to half-mast. While it may be easy to associate Memorial Day weekend with barbeques, a day off from work or school, and the start of summer, we cannot forget that there is a reason we observe this day – and each of them have a story.
It is no secret that prescription drug costs are high. When we hear about medications being sold for outrageous prices, it is important to remember that they aren't necessarily special drugs for specific treatments or rare diseases. These are medicines that treat high-cholesterol and blood pressure, epi-pens that save the lives of children and adults exposed to an allergen, and insulin that patients with diabetes depend on every day. In Central Washington, we already experience provider shortages, skyrocketing deductibles, and unaffordable premiums.
"Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy."
A lot of people don't realize exactly how many small businesses are all around us. Whether it be a storefront on Main Street in downtown Ritzville, the local fruit stand off the highway in Selah, or an online boutique operating out of Winthrop, it is very likely that someone you know can call themselves a "small business owner."
Last week, the House voted on legislation that would force the President to participate in the Paris Climate Agreement to reduce carbon emissions in the United States and the world. On the surface, this bill paints a pretty picture: reducing our carbon footprint. However, this federally-mandated top-down approach will not help advance that goal.
Easter Sunday is the holiest day for observant Christians worldwide. It is the day followers of Jesus Christ celebrate his resurrection, and many believers choose to be baptized or receive their first communion on the special day. It is the day on which Christians celebrate the central tenets of our faith, which is why the coordinated suicide bombings on Easter Sunday in Sri Lanka that targeted minority Christians at four churches as well as foreigners at four hotels shocked that island nation and the world.
Tax Day is a day that has been historically regarded as stressful, complicated, and unworthy of any significant praise. It is a day that is typically dreaded by American taxpayers and business owners. However, on Monday, April 15th, we observed the first Tax Day under the new Republican tax code that was signed into law in December 2017. This is a huge milestone, and for the first time in decades, there is reason to celebrate.
On April 9th, we said goodbye to a hero of the Greatest Generation. Retired Lt. Col. Richard "Dick" Cole, the last surviving member of the Doolittle Raiders, passed away at the age of 103.
The old saying, "the customer is always right" may hold true as a best practice for business, but it just rarely seems to apply to services provided by the government. In my many conversations with farmers in Central Washington, it is clear that one of the biggest challenges they face remains the availability of labor. If the current federal H-2A legal agriculture labor program were compared to a restaurant, then farmers would be frustrated customers demanding to speak with the management, not because they are finnicky eaters, but due to the poor service they typically receive.
According to the Yakima Herald Republic's special series, "The Vanished:"
A report from the National Institute of Justice found that more than four out of five Native American women have experienced violence in their lives. In 2016, the Centers for Disease Control reported that homicide is the third leading cause of death among Native American women between the ages of 10 and 24. The Department of Justice has reported Native American women are 10 times more likely to be murdered than other Americans.